Great article in the Business Journal last Friday on the rebranding of LaBreche (formerly LaBreche Murray).

According to Lauren Wilbert's article, the agency is looking into the possibility of acquiring a marketing communications firm as it continues to expand its portfolio of services. Get the full article here.

A new program from the Minnesota chapter, Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), offers communication professionals and students access to career and industry guidance from local experts. Open to both members and nonmembers, students and seasoned veterans in the field, the Minnesota PRSA e-Mentor program is designed as a resource to help communication professionals address the opportunities and challenges presented to them throughout their careers. Questions are submitted online and responded to in a confidential and timely manner.

"Minnesota PRSA is proud to extend this tremendous and much-needed service to communication professionals throughout area," says Rose McKinney, APR, president of Minnesota PRSA. "The e-Mentor program helps individuals navigate career paths as well as advances the public relations profession as a whole."

Available to Minnesota PRSA members since October 2006, the program provides professional advice on a wide range of topics — from determining if an MBA is a worthwhile investment, to deciding if relocating to a different region of the country is a good career move, to finding the best way to submit a resume.

Questions can be submitted in one of five categories: ethical situations; management of the PR function/account management; career development and transitions; public relations strategies and tactics; and workplace, agency and client relationships.

Professionals who submit a question can anticipate a response within two business days from an accredited public relations (APR) counselor working within the Minnesota communications community.

For more information or to submit a question, visit www.mnprsa.com and click on "Minnesota PRSA Mentorship Program" under the Minnesota PRSA dropdown menu.

Exponent Public Relations has expanded and opened offices where the sun does shine. In an effort to be closer to the heart of the food and beverage playground and closer to some of its clients, the agency has settled in Orlando .

Bernice Neumann, Exponent senior counselor and head of its food and beverage practice will lead the office. Neumann will oversee client account service, manage the food and beverage efforts and continue to be at the pulse of the industry, directing new strategic programs for current clients and prospects across the United States .

"This is a great opportunity for us to be in the heart of the testing ground for new food and restaurant concepts, as well as be accessible to our clients along the East Coast," said Riff Yeager, Exponent’s managing director. "Bernice has been instrumental in bringing in new business and building food and beverage accounts for the agency. Her industry experience and knowledge will be beneficial as we develop the Orlando office.

"We believe in being students of our clients' businesses and industries and gaining inside knowledge of the marketplace," Yeager added. "That's why we focus on select categories including food and nutrition, wellness, lifestyle and agribusiness."

Dunkin’ Brands has selected Carmichael Lynch Spong to develop strategic communications for the launch of the Dunkin’ Brands Community Foundation and its corporate social responsibility efforts.

Based in Canton, Mass., Dunkin' Brands is the parent of Dunkin' Donuts, Baskin-Robbins and Togo's. The Dunkin’ Brands Community Foundation, the charitable Foundation of Dunkin’ Brands, in partnership with Dunkin’ Donuts, and Togo's franchisees, focuses on serving those who serve our communities, especially in times of crisis. Through its charitable actions, the Foundation will support a variety of emergency relief organizations in their efforts to increase preparedness and improve response when a need arises. The Foundation is represented by Dunkin’ Brands franchisees and corporate executives.

"In the wake of a disaster, support for emergency responders runs high," said Paul Leech, chief administrative officer of the Foundation. "However, too often, as the disaster fades from the headlines, so does public support. We launched The Dunkin' Brands Community Foundation with franchisees to make sure these organizations stay top of mind 365 days a year. With its expertise in charitable programs and cause marketing, we believe Carmichael Lynch Spong is the right partner to help us build awareness and encourage giving to this important cause."

Carmichael Lynch Spong has an extensive history of success in building momentum and support for charitable giving programs and nonprofit organizations. In 2006 the firm was honored with many industry awards in the cause marketing arena such as the PRWeek Cause-Related Campaign of the Year; PRWeek Nonprofit Campaign of the Year; PRSA Silver Anvil for Community Relations Business-Services; PRSA Silver Anvil for Special Events, Associations Nonprofits; and the PRSA Silver Anvil for Public Service, Government.

"We are excited to be partnering with an organization that's making a difference in so many communities and so many individuals' lives. This organization has great potential, and Carmichael Lynch Spong is excited to help build on their honorable efforts," says Douglas K. Spong, APR, president of Carmichael Lynch Spong.

Phil Johnson, chief operating officer and 20-year Colle+McVoy team member, has been named 2007 Marketer of the Year by the National Agri-Marketing Association ( NAMA ), the premiere organization for marketing professionals serving U.S. agribusiness.

The annual award is NAMA's most prestigious honor and recognizes outstanding achievements in marketing to agricultural audiences.

As a leader of Colle+McVoy's agribusiness team for two decades, Johnson has helped dozens of the nation’s leading companies introduce and revitalize brands that support the production of food, fiber and fuel by American farmers and ranchers.

"With his extraordinary talent for providing strategic direction and leading our teams to produce exceptional work, Phil has truly been the heart and soul of our agribusiness discipline," said Christine Fruechte, president, Colle+McVoy. "He has earned the respect of countless agribusiness professionals, our clients, trade association partners, media representatives and members of our own Colle+McVoy teams.

"Phil's incredible work ethic and ability to identify and develop talented people has helped shape the Colle+McVoy culture and is a key to our long-term recognition as a committed, leading agency for a number of business-to-professional marketing segments, including agribusiness."

Current Colle+McVoy clients with brands within the agribusiness and food sectors include Agriliance, Case IH, CHS Inc. (Cenex brand), CROPLAN GENETICS, DuPont Crop Protection, Farm Credit Services, Fort Dodge Animal Health, New Holland, Nestlé Purina and others.

The National Agri-Marketing Association serves the food and fiber industry, focusing on members’ professional development by providing access to solutions and opportunities in agribusiness.

Risdall McKinney Public Relations today announced the addition of Anne Schopen as senior account executive.

Schopen worked with Rose McKinney, Risdall McKinney’s president, at Foley Sackett (now Level) and was a key member of the American Composers Forum (ACF), Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, and later, Medica teams.

"Anne's strategic thinking and tactical excellence dovetail with our Results That Matter philosophy at Risdall McKinney," said McKinney . "Her talents will be a tremendous asset to our clients and our growing internal team."

Schopen's work has received national recognition from PR Week and earned a SABRE (Superior Achievement in Branding and Reputation) award. She has garnered nearly 20 awards, including “Best of Show” honors from the Minnesota chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. Her experience includes strategic planning and PR counsel, media relations, issues management and community relations for programs such as ACF’s Continental Harmony and Medica’s “Way To Better Health” and Dental Access.

"Rose and I collaborated well in the past. I'm tremendously proud of our work and eager to expand on our successes,” says Schopen. About McKinney, she says "She's truly the most naturally gifted PR professional I've worked with. She inspires me every day to raise the bar, and I'm thrilled to join her at Risdall McKinney."

Schopen started her career in public relations and promotions at Fallon, working on the Lee Jeans account. Schopen managed Lee's involvement in the Elite Lee Jeans Model Look events, supported the company’s sponsorship of the Women's National Basketball Association and participated in the planning stages of the Buddy Lee campaign.

At Risdall McKinney Public Relations, Schopen will work on behalf of Premier Mounts, one of the world's leading manufacturers of projector, plasma and flat-screen TV mounts, Calhoun Square and Twin Cities Originals.

Schopen has degrees in International Relations and Mass Communications from the University of Minnesota .

The Twin Cities office of Weber Shandwick today announced the promotion of Tracy Kurschner from account group director to vice president. Kurschner helps lead corporate communications, including strategic counsel, media relations, communications support and high-end video productions for several clients.

Kurschner joined the agency in 1997 as a senior account executive and has been instrumental in building enduring and strong relationships with clients including Opus Corporation, Personnel Decisions International and the National Marrow Donor Program. She has been a leader of or key player in campaigns that earned four PRSA Bronze Anvil awards, a SABRE award of commendation, and a Minnesota PRSA Classics award.

Before joining Weber Shandwick, Kurschner spent nearly a decade in television news, ending her television career as a producer at KSTP-TV in Minneapolis/St. Paul. She has a degree in broadcast and newspaper journalism from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Don’t forget to register for the PRSA Core Training Session this Thursday as we explore the impact of cultural diversity on marketing and public relations programs. Kevin Hooks, senior vice president of Axis Agency in Los Angeles , and Rick Aguilar, president and CEO of Aguilar Productions in St. Paul , will give their unique perspectives on multicultural marketing and targeted communications.

What: April Core Training Session

Date: Thursday, April 19, 2007

Time: 11 a.m. – Registration

11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Luncheon and Program

Where: Metropolitan Ballroom

.

Golden Valley , MN 55416

Cost: Members $30

Non-members $45

Students $15


Register: www.mnprsa.com

Cabin fever got you down? Tired of staying home and watching TV? The Minnesota Chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA) has something special in the works to help you shake off the last of the winter blues.

AMA’s Spring Networking event is set for Thursday, April 26 from 5:15 - 9:00 p.m. at Trocaderos Nightclub and Restaurant. Not only will you meet new people, mingle with fellow AMA members, and enjoy complimentary drink tickets and appetizers, you will also hear the inspiring words of a nationally renowned speaker.



Ross Bernstein, best-selling author and highly sought after motivational speaker, will share his guerilla marketing tactics that have allowed him to promote his books on prominent TV and radio programs. Ross will also share the life-lessons he learned from his mentor and friend, hockey great, Herb Brooks. Translating those ideologies into a practical business application, Bernstein aims to inspire others to follow their dreams and passions.

This not-to-be-missed event is free to members (including student members), and just $20 for non-members. Register now!

Yamamoto Moss Mackenzie has hired J. Mark Jones as chief operating officer, a new position, to grow the agency’s capabilities and integrate great ideas into the day-to-day process. He joins the agency from Alea Group Holdings, Ltd., where he was most recently head of US operations. Before that he was a vice-president of finance for Zurich Reinsurance North America.

"We added the COO position because Mark Jones has a great track record of institutionalizing excellence. He takes ideas and integrates them smoothly into work life," says Andrew Mackenzie, CEO, Yamamoto Moss Mackenzie. "Many great ideas fail to get integrated, but he is the man to bridge the distance between the great idea and its penetration into our agency culture. We needed a handler to grow our potential and not be bogged down in the work at hand."

"It's rare in today’s business world to find just the right mix of creativity, energy and sound thinking," says Jones, YMM’s new COO. "I have had several opportunities in my career to be with the right organization at the right time to witness and help foster this unique confluence of factors, and YMM is right there. It is an exciting and momentous time and I am thrilled to be able to play a part."

Jones holds a bachelor of science degree in accounting and management information systems from the University of Rhode Island , Kingston . He is a certified public accountant, a certified financial services auditor, a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors .

Mark your calendars, the PRSA May "1st Tuesdays Network" will be May 1. Consider it a networking / Cinco De Mayo event.

Details on the location will be available soon.

The event will run from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. with FREE! Free drinks/drink specials and appetizers

Energizing your Web site
April 19, 2007
7:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
The Woman's Club of Minneapolis
Cost: $140 for members; $180 for non-members; $144 for guests of members (20% off non-member price)
Includes continental breakfast and lunch

Register now!

April's Professional Development Seminar topic is "Energizing your Web site - Internet Marketing Trends, Blogging, RSS and Podcasting, and Legalities of Technology Trends."

Schedule:
7:30 – 8:00 a.m. - Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:00 – 9:30 a.m. - Internet Marketing Trends: Building a sustainable plan for direct marketing online

Nina Hale will explain a number of online marketing tactics, from the tried-and-true like search engine marketing to brand-spankin’-new like Second Life. She will discuss how to integrate these into a relationship marketing strategy and the time, expertise and resources needed to execute and sustain them profitably.

Nina Hale owns a Minneapolis agency for strategic internet marketing. She has worked with a variety of organizations to develop and execute online marketing plans since 1999, with organizations such as Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Stratasys Corp., Hazelden, Royal Enfield Motorcycles, Capella University, Digital River, The Greater Minneapolis Convention and Visitor's Association, and the National Geographic Society. She worked in advertising and new media prior to that. Nina holds an MBA from the Carlson School of Management and a BA from Brown University. www.ninahale.com

9:45 – 11:15 a.m. – Blogging, RSS and Podcasting

Jennifer Bohmbach will demystify blogging, podcasting and RSS, and discuss how they contribute to your Web site, the basics of development, maintenance and delivery, and examples of who using them, and why.

Jennifer Bohmbach is Sun.com Chief Information Architect. She has been with Sun Microsystem more than two years. Over the past 10 years, she has worked to create Web site experiences for technology, cable spot advertising, recruiting, healthcare, financial, government with intranets, extranets, portals, commerce, promotional sites, transactional sites, and content management. Previous positions include Experience Design Practice Director and consultant for the interactive arm of J. Walter Thompson formerly known as Imaginet, and User Experience Manager and Information Architect at Techies.com.

Jennifer’s blogs:

• www.theimagelab.com/blog
  
• blogs.sun.com/evoljennifer
  
• blogs.sun.com/c2

11:30 – 12:00 p.m. - Lunch

12:00 – 12:45 p.m. - Legalities of Technology Trends

Patrick Robben, lawyer from Rider Bennett

Register now!

, I had the opportunity to speak with University of Minnesota students Wednesday night. I talked to them about how I got started in public relations and what I like about my job. I then talked to them about the 2 Rs, 2 Ls and 2 Fs. Let me explain.

The 2 Rs:

• Writing
  
• Reading

The 2 Rs are the most critical and basic skills of public relations in the traditional sense. The first R actually starts with a W, but no one at the meeting seemed surprised when I told them that they need to understand how to write.

Just as important is to have a good, well-rounded library of magazines, books and newspapers that you like to read. Read everything and read always.

The 2 Ls:

• Learning
  
• Listening

Learning is an essential component of any PR practice. Whether you are working in a corporation or at an agency it is critical to understand the products you are selling and it is very important that you have a teachable heart.

As I told the students last night, "you may think you know everything, but there is no way you are as smart as you think." Well, at least that has been true for me anyway. If I only had a dollar for every time I was wrong!

A close colleague of mine shared that listening is a skill that is often over looked. Often we are so excited to share our amazing ideas that we forget to listen to what our customer really wants. If you want to be successful learn to listen.

The 2 Fs:

• Failure
  
• Fun

Failure is part of life and failure is part of any successful career. You need to take risks to succeed and when you take risks sometimes you fail. I mentioned above that I wish I had a dollar for every time I was wrong, what I didn't say is that I have two dollars for every time I was right! The idea is to try and succeed more than you fail. Learn from your mistakes and then capitalize on them and make it better next time.

Having fun! If your not having fun you need to find a new job. Of course in every job there are going to be days that suck, but try and find a position where you are having fun more often than not.

Please join PRNewswire for a panel discussion on how new media is changing the face of traditional media relations -- begging the question, "Who is a journalist?" This presentation will provide insight on social media and information on how PR practitioners can use it to their advantage, as well as tools and tips to get the most out of your social media experience.

Moderator
Pat Lilja, Director of Technology, Tunheim Partners

Panelists
Kate Parry, Readers Representative, Star Tribune
Greg Swan, Music Editor, Perfectporridge.com
Mark Holterhaus, Public Relations, Tunheim Partners

Date
Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Place
Radisson Plaza Hotel Minneapolis
35 South 7th Street

Skyway accessible with hourly parking available at the Radisson/Plaza VII

Continental breakfast will be served.

Time
Registration: 8:00 a.m.
Presentation: 8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Q&A to follow

Cost
Free

R.S.V.P. by April 9

The Twin Cities office of Weber Shandwick today announced the promotion of Christine Scroggins from senior account executive to account supervisor.

Scroggins, who joined the agency in 2004, transferred to the financial services practice last year after spending two years in the technology practice. Since then, she has built strong relationships with government clients and financial institutions and was instrumental in developing strategic, creative marketing collateral to promote a new campaign.

Prior to joining Weber Shandwick, Scroggins developed educational text books for Houghton Mifflin and National Geographic as an editor at Thomas Nieman Inc. in Chicago, and worked as an intern in the internal communications department at Rockwell Automation in Milwaukee. A native of Denver, she earned bachelors’ degrees in Spanish and international studies from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., and also holds a Master of Science degree in integrated marketing communications from Northwestern University.

Minnesota PRSA has published their new Internship Directory - check it out here.

If human behavior is changing, advertisers need to adjust their strategies. Aki Spicer and Paul Sanders from Fallon will identify the trends that have brought us to Web 2.0, and why advertisers need to pay attention if they are to remain relevant. Web 2.0 is a convergence of technology and social trends impacting media consumption beyond the internet.

Where:
O'Gara's Bar & Grill
164 North Snelling Avenue
St Paul, MN




When:
Thursday, April 19, 2007
5:30p.m. -Registration
5:30 - 7:00p.m. - Networking 7:00p.m. -Presentation

Parking is available in the side lot

Pricing:
- Students: $5 with pre-registration, $10 at the door

- Ad2 members: Free with pre-registration, $5 at the door

- Ad Fed members: $10 with pre-registration, $15 at the door

- Non members: $15 with pre-registration, $20 at the door

Tomorrow, I will cut out of work early to speak with the Public Relations Student Society of America and tell them about what the real world is like. I wonder, what is the "real world" like?

Whether you are in the agency world, corporate environment or working for a non-profit, I am sure that we all have different perceptions of the real world. What advice would you give to students just preparing to enter the PR job market?